Abstract
This article aims to identify the behavior of light and heavy micro-plastics on the southern shore of the Caspian Sea during different seasons of the year. For this purpose, data from 15 sampling stations were gathered in four seasons, and subjected to various analyses after the samples were prepared. To separate light and heavy micro-plastics, the samples were washed with water. Analysis of TGA-DSC and FTIR imaging was used to quantitatively and qualitatively identify microplastic samples and optical microscope images were used to quantify the number of particles. According to the results, the amount of light microplastics in the spring and winter is less than in the summer and autumn. In the spring, the highest levels of pollutants are PVC, PES, PET and PU. In the summer and autumn, the values of PE, PP, PA, PAT, PU and PVC are at a relatively equal range. In the winter, most pollutants are PVC, PES, and PU. In conclusion, PE, PP, PPA, and PET should be removed from the environment before they can be modified by physical and chemical processes.
Keywords: coastline; FTIR imaging; micro-plastic; TGA-DSC